pelucidor

Obviously window tint is more important than a stereo system in Texas, especially as some people are complaining about weak AC systems. My dealership charges $300 for either Solar Guard or Madico.

I did some research and found good reviews for Huper Optik. Found an installer a few blocks from my dealership - will charge $400 (good price - the range is $400-$800). He has been in the tint business for 18 years and also installs Madico. He could not praise Huper Optik enough - said this ceramic tint was a revolution - so much cooler than other brands. He has been to my dealership and checked out the RX-8 so knows how hard it will be to get under the rear window. Ceramic is apparently better than metallised films for electromagnetic reception (e.g. cell-phones). The statistics on Huper Optiks website compared to other brands really do suggest is transmits about half the heat into the cabin.

Anyone have any real-world experience of this product? I will be using Stark 30 (34% tint) all round which is about Texas legal maximum (35%).

RX-Nut

Funny! I just called to schedule my tinting and I asked for one that blocked the most heat, etc.. and they recommended this one too. Yes it's a bit more expensive than the others, but maybe it's worth it... gotta do some research on it!

tribal azn2

anyone have pictures

meat

not sure about the ceramic one (sounds like it should work though), but I just got LLumar Platinum Plus installed. the company came recommended from the local BMW dealer, and from a friend of mine who had his done 2 years ago. It looks really good (the dark silver windows go nicely with the titanium car...), and dispite warnings that it can interfere with transmission of cell phones and radar detectors, both have worked fine with me (V1 Radar Detector, Nokia GSM cell phone). The heat rejection is exceptional (I literally couldn't tell the sun was on the window from the inside by temperature). I would have liked the 20 all around, but alas, in texas, 35 is the limit for the sides, so I got 35 on the sides and 20 on the rear.

Sputnik

Not to mention radar detector reception.

---jps

RX-Nut

Well.. my appt is Friday.. I'm not sure if I'll be getting this tint, but I'll definitely find out more about it. I'll post back if I do get it, or with some first hand knowledge.

pelucidor.. where did you read reviews on it?

Racer X-8

FM reception?

MrWigggles

In Texas you can do whatever you want on the back window.

The side rear passenger windows are supposed to be 35% or greater but I don't know anyone who has gotten a ticket for 20% or less.

I plan to put 35% or so on the front side windows and 20% on the rest.

My current car has less than 20% and it isn't that dark.

-Mr. Wigggles

8_wannabe

I've used this metallized stuff on three cars (BMW and two hondas) from a reputable local installer (Diamond Tinting.) Price was around $130 per car. It has lasted for years, the longest was 7 years on a Honda Odyssey (installation here cost more for 7 windows.) When I sold the van last week the tint looked as good as the day it was installed. Never had a single problem with RF reception from the tinting. I'm sure the ceramic stuff is fine but I see no downside to the metallic tint. As a happy customer three times over, I'm going back to Diamond Tinting with my 8 and get the metallic stuff.

eccles

Shouldn't make much difference, since the antenna is in the glass and thus outside the tint film.

pelucidor

Meat - how much did you pay for Llumar, and where?

I don't care how it looks per se - just want to avoid heat. I saw reviews on Freshalloy and some other car forum. The company I will be using (probably) is Sun Handlers on I-10 near Jeff Haas Mazda - they only carry ceramic Stark 30 (he reckons the next step down Stark 20 is too thick and stiff to use on curvy windows like the back of the RX-8). Where is the GPS unit for the NAV system - inside the cabin or outside?

8_wannabe

The antenna's gotta be embedded in the roof or trunk lid since it needs direct line-of-sight to the satellite. It's not gonna be in the cabin.

Racer X-8

Yep. I was wondering though if a metallized film might still affect FM reception from just being in very close proximity to it. You know, when you have weak reception, just walking by an antenna can affect the reception considerably...just wondering...might make it better, might make it worse, might receive stations from mars...(?!)

meat

$199 at a place call Sunbusters on 183 and Duval.

QuantumTheory08

[QUOTE]
Yep. I was wondering though if a metallized film might still affect FM reception from just being in very close proximity to it. You know, when you have weak reception, just walking by an antenna can affect the reception considerably...just wondering...might make it better, might make it worse, might receive stations from mars...(?!)

In ham radio, many times you want metal under the antenna to create what is called a "ground plane" that helps the signal transmit even better. I understand that the antenna in the glass of a window really doesn't match an antenna that is like a pole. I'll have to ask some of my ham buddies what they know.

QuantumTheory08

how come I can never get the quotes to look like the rest of you guys or post mulitple photos - how do you do it????

8_wannabe

Just click "Quote" on the person you want to quote. Then add your comments in the text box that results. Don't modify the quote that's automatically pasted in unless you know what you're doing; you can ruin the formatting if you take out the control characters. Easy, huh?

wakeech

also, you need to make sure you have the end tags on your text as well...

[quote.][i.]Originally Posted by wakeech for educational purposes[/i.][b.]

Like this.[/b.][/quote.]

sans periods, it looks like this:

you can also add colour (spelt the incorrectly American way "color") with tags like this with the tags [colour.=red.] like this [/color.], change size, even font type (i think... i dont' know how to do that one)

Boozehound

I had the Llumar Titanium tint put on my RX-7 and Park Avenue over the last 5 years or so. There's a guy off of Old Katy road in a shop called Westside Glass Tinting - he did those two of my vehicles and two of my friends. The work looked good, and the tint on the RX-7 still looks good after 6 years. For the RX-7 he charged ~145 and for the Park Avenue, he charged ~190.

The guy is a firm believer in the Llumar and also installs 3M, but in his opinion, the 3M film isn't nearly as good.

I'm probably going to end up going back to him, or if this ceramic tint turns out pretty well for someone else with really nice application on the back glass, I might persue that option. So whoever is going to / has done a tint job, post some pics and info please.

RXhusker

No Huper Optik installer in Omaha They referred me to their distributor for the Midwest to locate an installer (KC is closest) Visited with the distributor for a while -- they distribute most of the top brands -- he said that Huper Optik is hands down the best there is -- cost more but definitely worth it from his viewpoint. Got the contact in KC -- may be worth the trip just to get the break-in miles (400 round trip).

QuantumTheory08

Here we go:
Let's see if that Works!

I previewed my post and it did not have any of the "periods" in it.

Once I removed the periods, everything worked!!

Cool: thanks, I learned something.

Now will it show who originally posted the item, or do you have to write that in yourself?

zoom44

it will show whom you quoted if you click the button under their name between the report and edit buttons. also, what i usually do is edit out the stuff from the quote that isn't pertinent to my response. i also try to put in the "..."(insn't there a term for the 3 periods together?) to show that i have deleted something

zoom44

hey that ceramic tint looks great. unfortunately it could take me a year or 2 to convince the wife that we really need it.

RXhusker

Tell her it will eliminate your risk of developing skin cancer -- hoping this argument works with my wife :D

jonalan

elipses